One of China's leading democracy activists has been beaten, possibly to death, in front of a British journalist. Lu Banglie (
They were on their way to Taishi, a village in Guangdong Province which has become the latest flashpoint in a growing wave of rural unrest that is proving the greatest threat to the rule of the Communist party since the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989.
Lu, one of a new breed of peasant leaders elected without the support of the party, had been in the area on the outskirts of Guangzhou City since August, encouraging residents to vote out officials accused of corruption.
With Taishi seen as a symbol of the movement for peasant rights, this was an increasingly dangerous activity. Several academics, lawyers and human rights campaigners have been arrested by police and threatened by a mob that villagers say has been hired to keep visitors away. Several journalists who have entered the area have been detained or beaten, most recently last Friday, when correspondents for Radio France and the South China Morning Post were assaulted.
In Saturday's attack, Joffe-Walt said the car was stopped on a road outside Taishi by a group of about five police, five soldiers and as many as 50 people in plain clothes. The uniformed men soon left and then the mob set upon Lu, dragging him out of the car and kicking him unconscious. They continued the assault for several minutes after he lost consciousness.
"I was convinced he was dead and thought they were going to do the same to us," Joffe-Walt said.
But he, his assistant and their driver escaped with being roughed up.
The three were taken to Wuyutou town hall for questioning, leaving Lu behind. The Guardian has been unable to confirm what happened to Lu.
Locals are too frightened to talk to foreign journalists, but several have risked retribution to call intermediaries. According to one source, Taishi has been in mourning since they saw a police car -- rather than an ambulance -- take away Lu's body.
Wuyutou police said they had received reports that Lu had been taken to hospital, but that he had been released and was "fine."
The three nearest hospitals said that no one had been admitted yesterday.
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